WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley today said that Judge John Jarvey, the nominee to serve as the
United States District Judge for the Southern District of Iowa, has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Grassley, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said he hopes the Senate will consider the nomination as soon as possible.
“Judge Jarvey is an exceptional nominee.
He has
shown tremendous dedication to public service,” Grassley said. “I wish we had gotten Judge Jarvey’s nomination through last year. But, no matter when he gets confirmed, he’ll be an outstanding judge.”
Jarvey was nominated to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa when Chief Judge Ronald Longstaff announced his intention to retire from the bench. The vacancy is one of three active judgeships on the Southern District Court. The Court has jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories of federal cases, including both civil and criminal matters.
Jarvey’s nomination cleared the Judiciary Committee last year as well, but was one of a number of judicial nominations not acted upon by the full Senate before the end of the 109th Congress. A new Congress started in January, so it was necessary for the President to re-nominate Jarvey for the judgeship.
Here is Grassley’s prepared statement from this morning’s business meeting.
Prepared Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Senate Committee on the Judiciary Executive Meeting
Consideration of Judge John Jarvey
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Chairman Leahy, I appreciate you putting Judge John Jarvey on this week’s Judiciary Committee agenda. Judge Jarvey has been nominated to serve as a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Iowa. This Committee considered Judge Jarvey’s nomination in the 109th Congress, but unfortunately the full Senate never had a chance to approve it. I’m glad that now we’re moving expeditiously on his nomination, and I’m hopeful that he’ll be confirmed by the Senate prior to the recess.
I’d like to give my colleagues a little background on this stellar nominee. Judge Jarvey comes from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Since 1987, he’s been the Chief United States Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court, Northern District of Iowa. He also has been a Trial Advocacy instructor at the University of Iowa Law School since 1993.
I received many letters from the Iowa legal community praising Judge Jarvey’s judicial temperament, courteousness to litigants, and respect for and commitment to our judicial system. He has been praised for his judicial ethics and abilities as an administrator. Many letters commented on Judge Jarvey’s intelligence, command of the law and rules of evidence, and his fairness.
Judge Jarvey has been given a unanimous rating of “well qualified” by the ABA. I’m confident that this man possesses the skill, integrity, commitment, intellect, and temperament that we expect of all good judges. So I urge my colleagues to vote in support of Judge Jarvey’s nomination.
-30-